Hello, Presidents-Elect! It's Friday morning and I am sitting in my room preparing for the kickoff of Leadership Summit 2007 in just an hour or so. I'm feeling inspired to write about the April truth of the month: Great AMA leaders have a strong, unified vision for their chapter. Leadership Summit is the perfect time to think about this because it's a real opportunity to think about your chapter in relation to the bigger brand of AMA. So many exciting things are going on within the Association! So the question becomes what is your vision for the 2007-2008 fiscal year? What will your chapter do and be to create an incredible experience for your membership?

Most of you will be here this weekend, and I encourage you to spend the weekend thinking about your chapter's vision. If it isn't clear to you, find some team time to really talk about this important issue. Ask other chapters what their thoughts are about it. Commit to getting crystal clear (for yourself, of course, and also for your entire team) about what your vision is and what steps you need to take to make it real.

What I know for sure is that people rally behind leaders and organizations with vision. What I also am confident of is that the vision you put in place will not only guide your planning, but it will sustain you and carry you forward when you encounter those inevitable road bumps along the way. So this weekend, dream big. Imagine the possibilities. Be confident in yourself and your team. Find your rallying cry and you will be well on your way to an incredible year in 2007-2008!

Please feel free to post your ideas and comments in response in this forum. If you have a question or chapter issue that you'd like to discuss anonymously or have recommendations for this blog, please contact me directly at
ama-elects@linkageresearch.com.

Michele DeKinder-Smith
President-Elect
Professional Chapters Council